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A sexy peek of A Pound of Flesh

June Book of the Month

Prologue

The pound of flesh which I demand of him

Is dearly bought; ’tis mine and I will have it.

—The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1

The hurried sound of their feet on the sidewalk matched the frantic pace of her heart, while her father’s grip on her hand was almost painful. Her short nine-year-old legs struggled to match his strides, causing her to stumble, all but jogging to keep up. There was a tightness in his jaw she’d never seen before, and his eyes, usually so bright and carefree, were as dark and angry as the sky above them. Foolishly, she felt the sudden urge to burst into tears.

A sound behind them made her look back. From out of the mouth of an alley slunk five hooded men who, despite keeping their heads down, kept up with her father’s swift gait, stalking them like wild animals.

Her father may have uttered words of comfort, words to soothe the fear that crept across her neck, but they were eaten up by the sidewalk when something hard and fast came from behind them, sending her father sprawling, taking her down with him. Disoriented, with knees that burned from skidding across the concrete, she looked up and screamed as a baseball bat connected with her father’s back twice, conjuring sickeningly dull thuds from his body.

She didn’t see the direction from which the hand came that struck her hard across the face, sending her tumbling over the curb and into the street, stars dancing in her vision and her father’s furious bellow ringing in her ears. He staggered to his feet and launched himself at one of their attackers. She watched in horror as fists, feet, and bats rained down on him in retaliation.

Above the cacophony of shouted demands for his wallet, through the barricade of bodies surrounding him, her father yelled at her to run. He pleaded and begged as they battered him, but cold struck her, freezing her solid. How could he ask her to leave? She had to help him, save him! Tears ran down her face and an animalistic cry erupted from her throat.

He groaned in agony when another fist met the side of his head, and his knees hit the ground as she started toward him. She reached out to him, but her arm was unexpectedly pulled hard in the opposite direction. She whimpered in relief, expecting to see a police officer or her father’s security detail—but it was someone not much taller than she was, in a dirty black hoodie.

She screamed loudly when he began to drag her away from where her father was being beaten, fighting and screaming at him to let her go when he hissed at her from under his hood. Did he not realize that her father needed her, that he would surely die without her help? But the stranger kept going, pulling her down the street into the doorway of an abandoned building, two blocks from where the terrifying sound of gunfire filled the air.

She screamed for her father, yanked her hand hard from her rescuer’s grip, and began running back in the direction of the attack. She hadn’t made it far when she was wrestled to the ground by strong hands that pinned her down. She continued to scream underneath him, fighting with everything she had, but soon her body became heavy and exhausted, and her cries and screams became wracked sobs that stuttered into the cold ground beneath her forehead.

The weight on top of her disappeared and two hands lifted her, pulling her back into the freezing doorway. She slumped against him and mewed in pain into his dirty hoodie. She needed to get back to her daddy. She needed to see that he was okay. He had to be okay. An arm around her shoulder and an icy hand against her cheek was her undoing, and she wilted further against her unknown rescuer.

She may have stayed that way for hours; she may have even fallen asleep. The next thing she knew, she was being carried by a man with a beard toward an ambulance. She opened her tear-swollen eyes and saw police and paramedics surrounded by a sea of red and blue flashing lights.

Their expressions, which would haunt her for the rest of her life, told her unequivocally that her father would not be tucking her into bed that night.

Or ever again.

1

Wesley James Carter, Arthur Kill Correctional Facility inmate and all-around punk, smirked at the disgruntled prison guard who’d been demanding his prison number for the past ten minutes. To say that Carter’s insolent behavior and amused expression were agitating the overweight, balding man would be an understatement. Dude was nearly foaming at the mouth.

It was Friday, and five minutes after the guard had clocked out.

All the more reason for Carter to be a difficult bastard.

The guard ran an impatient hand over the back of his plump neck and his tired eyes narrowed. “Listen,” he warned in a low, dangerous voice that no doubt worked like a knife to the throats of other inmates. “It’s very simple. You give me your number. I put it on this form that I have to complete for your corrections counselor, and then I get to go home.”

Carter raised a defiant eyebrow and glared at the pudgy shit. Undeterred, the guard sat back in his swivel chair. “You don’t give me your number and my wife gets pissed. She gets pissed and I have to explain to her that some cocky punk kept me waiting. Then she’ll get more pissed and yell that our tax dollars are what keep losers like you in three meals a day and coveralls.” He sat forward. “So, last time. Number.”

Carter glanced nonchalantly at the guard’s fist gripping the baton attached to his belt and exhaled a long, bored breath. Any other day, he’d be ready for the douche to take a shot; he’d take the beating with a smile plastered on his face. But today, he wasn’t in the mood.

“081056,” Carter answered coolly, unable to resist a small wink.

With a fierce scowl, the guard scribbled the number on the form, then wheeled his seat over to give the form to a young blonde admin assistant. The fat fuck was too lazy to get up and walk the six steps.

Carter waited while Blondie typed in the number that had been his adopted name for the past nineteen months. He knew what charges would appear on the monitor: car boosting, handling a dangerous weapon, drug possession, drunk and disorderly conduct to name just a few. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t proud of the list of crimes and misdemeanors, which could fill up two full screens. Nevertheless, it did give him a sense of self, which was something he’d been searching for aimlessly most of his twenty-seven years. He was still searching for it and, until he found that something the list was all he had.

Whatever.

A POUND OF FLESH, the first in Sophie Jackson's A Pound of Flesh series, is out now in paperback and ebook!

Headline Eternal

A Pound of Flesh: A Pound of Flesh Book 1

By
Sophie Jackson

A Pound of Flesh is the first title in the A Pound of Flesh series from fan-fiction superstar Sophie Jackson.

Lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend. Wes Carter - sexy, edgy, behind bars, with emotional scars as permanent as the ink on his skin, just waiting to be healed by love...

Wes Carter: Dangerous, brooding and behind bars, Carter's emotional scars are as permanent as the ink on his skin.

Kat Lane: Vibrant and gutsy, Kat chooses to become a prison tutor in tribute to her father whose murder haunts her.

Although worlds apart, when their eyes meet, Carter and Kat's searing attraction is instant. As teacher and student, any relationship is against every rule. But although their love is forbidden, it won't be denied...

Loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds. Check out the whole A Pound of Flesh series: A Pound of Flesh, Love and Always, An Ounce of Hope, Fate and Forever and A Measure of Love.

Entirely heartfelt, hot and should be the very next book on your TBR list - 4 starsThis book truly was outstanding and I can't express just how much I loved reading it. It's the kind of book that I felt in my chest and made me angry when life got in the way of my reading. I was thinking about Kat and Carter whenever the cruel world required me to put it down. The writing was beautiful and poetic; Jackson made me feel every single feeling and emotion. A Pound of Flesh is a breathtakingly beautiful story about conquering your fears, finding love, redeeming oneself, and reminds us all to never judge a book by its coverTheir relationship was intense, drama filled and certainly filled with sex. But I couldn't have loved them more if I tried. It reminded me of Travis and Abby's relationship from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire and it certainly holds the appeal of Fifty Shades of Grey fans. This may be the book of the year for me, and I cannot wait to get my hands on An Ounce of HopeThe romantic telling of this story that held us captive. The reading of literature and poetry woven throughout was mesmerising as were the many memorable moments in this story of fate, hope, redemption and second chances. A Pound of Flesh is a book we'd definitely recommendWow!! I loved, loved, loved every single thing about this book. If you are a fan of forbidden love stories, you are going to love this one... Sophie Jackson has incorporated everything I love into this delicious story. It is a must read[Sophie] writes the type of stories today's reader wants: beautifully created characters filled with emotion, and a storyline that sticks with you long after you turn the last pageA Pound of Flesh is an intriguing tale of acceptance, and understanding, and finding love in unexpected circumstances. What sets it apart from others is the way Sophie weaves storylines to build suspense before everything ultimately comes together, leaving the reader guessing and gasping until the very endStar-crossed lovers Wes Carter and Kat Lane share a passion that will sweep you off your feet...what makes A Pound of Flesh stand out from the rest is Jackson's powerful, elegant storytelling and a love affair so hot that you could get your fingers burned turning the pages... Jackson plays a blinder in this stunning debut, creating a vivid, seductive story that tingles with emotionally-charged tension, weaves in some cleverly worked literary parallels and rounds off with a suitably satisfying surprise in the tail. As Shakespeare so beautifully put it... 'This is the very ecstasy of love'.Wes Carter is a bad boy hero you won't be able to resist. And A Pound of Flesh is a love story you won't want to stop talking about.

Sophie Jackson is an English teacher from Chorley. Although she read and wrote furiously as a child, she first started writing as an adult, to scratch the creative itch, for the website FanFiction.net, after reading the Twilight series in 2008. She wrote and posted a number of Twilight fanfics, chapter by chapter, and built up an impressive readership.

For more information, visit Sophie's website: www.sophiejacksonauthor.com, and find her on Facebook www.facebook.com/SophieJacksonRomance and on Twitter @sophiejax.

AN EXCITING NEW TALENT: Eternal's first British author, delivering a hot, fresh new story and high quality pure romance fiction in the vein of UK predecessors E. L. James and Jodi Ellen Malpas.INTERNET SENSATION: Originally published as fan fiction of Twilight, A Pound of Flesh became an online phenomenon and an award-winning internet sensation. It won a host of awards and attracted well over 4.5 million online reads.WIDE APPEAL IN THE CURRENT MARKET: For both the contemporary and New Adult markets with the intensity of first time love, for fans of authors like Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans who can't get enough of intense, screwed-up but irresistible and multifaceted heroes. Wes Carter is a sexy bad boy with edge for romance fans to fall in love with: #MeetCarterPUBLISHING PLAN: Published in the US by Simon & Schuster, who publish Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans, the series will consist of three novels and two short stories about different couples but in the same world, returning to Carter and Kat's story, which is sure to thrill fans.

Love and Always: A Pound of Flesh Novella 1.5

By
Sophie Jackson

Love and Always is the second title in the A Pound of Flesh series from fan-fiction superstar Sophie Jackson.

Fans of Samantha Young, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Jamie McGuire, Katy Evans and Prison Break will find Sophie Jackson's powerful love stories utterly addictive and unforgettable. Carter and Kat's story of love and redemption continues in Love and Always - a novella in the sensational A Pound of Flesh series.

Theirs was a love that broke every rule. But the searing attraction between Wes Carter and Kat Lane was instant and impossible to deny.

Against all the odds, this all-consuming love between prison tutor Kat and her dangerous, brooding student flourished and healed the deep scars borne by each of them.

But as they face real life together and share the news of their engagement with those closest to them, Kat and Carter realise that they will still have to fight for their love if it is to survive forever and...always.

Loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds. Check out the whole A Pound of Flesh series: A Pound of Flesh, Love and Always, An Ounce of Hope, Fate and Forever and A Measure of Love.

[Sophie] writes the type of stories today's reader wants: beautifully created characters filled with emotion, and a storyline that sticks with you long after you turn the last pageA Pound of Flesh is an intriguing tale of acceptance, and understanding, and finding love in unexpected circumstances. What sets it apart from others is the way Sophie weaves storylines to build suspense before everything ultimately comes together, leaving the reader guessing and gasping until the very endThe novella in the compelling, emotional and sexy A Pound of Flesh series which began with the ultimate forbidden romance...

Sophie Jackson is an English teacher from Chorley. Although she read and wrote furiously as a child, she first started writing as an adult, to scratch the creative itch, for the website FanFiction.net, after reading the Twilight series in 2008. She wrote and posted a number of Twilight fanfics, chapter by chapter, and built up an impressive readership.

For more information, visit Sophie's website: www.sophiejacksonauthor.com, and find her on Facebook www.facebook.com/SophieJacksonRomance and on Twitter @sophiejax.

AN EXCITING NEW TALENT: Eternal's first British author, writing with an authentic American voice.INTERNET SENSATION: Originally published as fan fiction of Twilight, A Pound of Flesh became an online phenomenon and an award-winning internet sensation. It won a host of awards and attracted well over 4 million online reads.WIDE APPEAL IN THE CURRENT MARKET: For both the contemporary and New Adult markets with the intensity of first time love, for fans of authors like Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans who can't get enough of intense, screwed-up but irresistible and multifaceted heroes.PUBLISHING PLAN: Published in the US by Simon & Schuster, who publish Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans, the series will consist of three novels and two short stories about different couples but in the same world, returning to Carter and Kat's story, which is sure to thrill fans.

An Ounce of Hope: A Pound of Flesh Book 2

By
Sophie Jackson

An Ounce of Hope is the third title in the A Pound of Flesh series from fan-fiction superstar Sophie Jackson.

From the fanfic phenomenon whose sensational debut, A Pound of Flesh, had over 4.5 million reads. You fell for Wes Carter. Now there's a new bad boy in town. Just as sexy, just as edgy. Meet Carter's best friend, Max...Fans of Samantha Young, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Jamie McGuire, Katy Evans and Prison Break will find Sophie Jackson's powerful love stories utterly addictive and unforgettable.

Can true love heal the deepest scars?

Max O'Hare: Tortured by memories of the woman he loved, the child he lost and the drugs that numbed his pain, Max is haunted by his past.

Grace Brooks: An eternal optimist, Grace appears to be the perfect girl, but she keeps the truth of her own difficult history closely guarded.

Fresh out of rehab, the last thing on Max's mind is a relationship. Yet he's drawn to Grace, sensing that she too is looking for escape. Bound by their greatest fears and deepest secrets, Max and Grace must learn to trust again. And the key to opening their hearts lies in one another...

Loyalty. Redemption. All-consuming love against the odds. Prepare to fall for the powerful storytelling of Sophie Jackson. Check out the whole A Pound of Flesh series: A Pound of Flesh, Love and Always, An Ounce of Hope, Fate and Forever and A Measure of Love.

Jackson's newest installment to her heart-stopping series, A Pound of Flesh, is capable of blowing your mind. This romance contains loads of passionate moments where we finally get to witness Max's storyMax and Grace's story has truly left an imprint on my heart. They made the most adorable couple and I was invested in their relationship from start to finish. The pair had been through so much heartache and I just wanted to see them find their fairytale ending. An Ounce of Hope has captured my heart and although there were times where I felt as though my heart was being torn in two, I loved everything that I was readingThe second novel in the compelling, emotional and sexy A Pound of Flesh series from the fanfiction phenomenon, Sophie Jackson.

Sophie Jackson is an English teacher from Chorley. Although she read and wrote furiously as a child, she first started writing as an adult, to scratch the creative itch, for the website FanFiction.net, after reading the Twilight series in 2008. She wrote and posted a number of Twilight fanfics, chapter by chapter, and built up an impressive readership.

For more information, visit Sophie's website: www.sophiejacksonauthor.com, and find her on Facebook www.facebook.com/SophieJacksonRomance and on Twitter @sophiejax.

AN EXCITING NEW TALENT: Eternal's first British author, writing with an authentic American voice.INTERNET SENSATION: Originally published as fan fiction of Twilight, A Pound of Flesh became an online phenomenon and an award-winning internet sensation. It won a host of awards and attracted well over 4 million online reads.WIDE APPEAL IN THE CURRENT MARKET: For both the contemporary and New Adult markets with the intensity of first time love, for fans of authors like Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans who can't get enough of intense, screwed-up but irresistible and multifaceted heroes.PUBLISHING PLAN: Published in the US by Simon & Schuster, who publish Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans, the series will consist of three novels and two short stories about different couples but in the same world, returning to Carter and Kat's story, which is sure to thrill fans.

Tutor and prison student - their love was forbidden but their attraction was impossible to deny. And now Kat Lane is excitedly planning her wedding to the brooding, dangerously tempting love of her life, Wes Carter.

Kat and Carter couldn't be happier to be man and wife and start their life together - but it's not long before they realise married life isn't all plain-sailing. Everywhere they turn, couples are becoming parents, and the longing in Kat's eyes worries Carter. After his rough childhood, he's not so sure he has what it takes to be a good parent. But fate has brought Kat and Carter together - can their love survive forever?

Loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds. Check out the whole A Pound of Flesh series: A Pound of Flesh, Love and Always, An Ounce of Hope, Fate and Forever and A Measure of Love.

[Sophie] writes the type of stories today's reader wants: beautifully created characters filled with emotion, and a storyline that sticks with you long after you turn the last pageA Pound of Flesh is an intriguing tale of acceptance, and understanding, and finding love in unexpected circumstances. What sets it apart from others is the way Sophie weaves storylines to build suspense before everything ultimately comes together, leaving the reader guessing and gasping until the very endThe novella in the compelling, emotional and sexy A Pound of Flesh series which began with the ultimate forbidden romance...

Sophie Jackson is an English teacher from Chorley. Although she read and wrote furiously as a child, she first started writing as an adult, to scratch the creative itch, for the website FanFiction.net, after reading the Twilight series in 2008. She wrote and posted a number of Twilight fanfics, chapter by chapter, and built up an impressive readership.

For more information, visit Sophie's website: www.sophiejacksonauthor.com, and find her on Facebook www.facebook.com/SophieJacksonRomance and on Twitter @sophiejax.

AN EXCITING NEW TALENT: Eternal's first British author, writing with an authentic American voice.INTERNET SENSATION: Originally published as fan fiction of Twilight, A Pound of Flesh became an online phenomenon and an award-winning internet sensation. It won a host of awards and attracted well over 4 million online reads.WIDE APPEAL IN THE CURRENT MARKET: For both the contemporary and New Adult markets with the intensity of first time love, for fans of authors like Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans who can't get enough of intense, screwed-up but irresistible and multifaceted heroes.PUBLISHING PLAN: Published in the US by Simon & Schuster, who publish Jamie McGuire and Katy Evans, the series will consist of three novels and two short stories about different couples but in the same world, returning to Carter and Kat's story, which is sure to thrill fans.